HillsHelps.

The electrical currents given off into the surrounding waters by improperly wired or grounded boats, marinas, and docks can cause as much harm to swimmers as a hair dryer dropped into a bathtub affects a bather, according to the Electric Shock Drowning Prevention Association. Major jolts resulting in electrocution may not be the biggest risk. Even a low-level Alternating Current (AC) in fresh waters is sufficient to cause swimmers, particularly children, to suffer muscular paralysis, and significantly increases the chance of drowning.

To minimize the chances of falling victim to Electric Shock Drowning (ESD), the association recommends several steps:

Raise awareness of ESD; many boaters and swimmers are unaware of the dangers.

Boat owners should have their watercraft inspected by electricians who are properly trained and certified for boats and yachts.

Never swim in the vicinity of boats, marinas, or docks.

Install equipment leakage current interrupters or ground fault circuit interrupters on your watercraft, and recommend marina operators do the same on all wiring circuits and shore power pedestals.

An improperly wired boat that causes harm to others could expose you to liability lawsuits. Take care to have your boat inspected and to carry adequate boaters’ liability insurance. For more questions about liability insurance, or any insurance needs, contact Hills Insurance Agency and I’d be glad to assist you.

Reprinted by permission, The Mines Press, Inc. Volume 42, Issue 2

Insurance products are not a deposit, not FDIC insured, not insured by any federal government agency, carry no bank guarantee, and may go down in value.

About Dave Haman

Dave Haman is a Vice President, Insurance Agency Manager at Hills Bank’s Iowa City Gilbert Street location. He has been at Hills Bank since 1994 helping customers with their insurance needs. Dave can be reached at dave_haman@hillsbank.com.

Leave a Reply

Thanks for taking time to provide a comment or question! In order to keep your private information private and keep the conversation constructive, please keep the following guidelines in mind:

Please do not provide account specific details or personal information in your comments or questions. If you have account or service needs, please contact your Personal Banker at any Hills Bank location.

Comments will be reviewed and approved before appearing on our blog. Keep comments and questions relevant to the post you are responding to, and as always, keep comments respectful. Personal attacks, offensive language, or anything deemed inappropriate will not be approved to appear on our blog.

Under the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), you must be 13 or older in order to comment on our blog posts.

Due to phishing - an identity theft method attempting to acquire personal information, we cannot accept links to other blogs in our comments.

NOTICE: Hills Bank and Trust Company is not responsible for and has no control over the subject matter, content, information, or graphics of the web sites that have links here. Please contact us with any concerns or comments.